Amazing Performance From Costa Rica – England Out

It must be one of the best performances and results of a country in the World Cup finals ever, as Costa Rica amazingly beat Italy 1-0 in England’s Group D yesterday and qualified for the knockout rounds, and that left Uruguay and Italy to fight it out for who accompanies Costa Rica into the knockout tournaments – but it will not be England, who were eliminated after losing their first two games.

Bryan Ruiz scores after 44 minutes – what a fantastic win
And to think not one of Costa Rica’s players could get into the Italy squad, never mind the starting eleven, but that’s what makes football such a great game.

Costa Rica players played their hearts out for the result of the tournament so far, along with the Netherlands 5-1 annihilation of reigning Champions Spain.

Bryan Ruiz was a Newcastle target three years ago, but he signed on at Fulham, and he was booed last season in the Premier League and left to go on loan to PSV for the second half of the season, where he did very well

And he’s both Costa Rica’s best player and captain, and got the all important goal just before half time, his second of the tournament, as he headed in a difficult opportunity.

This is the type of unexpected and amazing result that makes a World Cup tournament, and along with the scintillating display from France yesterday, this World Cup is the best one for a long long time.

Italy now need at least a draw against Uruguay on Tuesday to advance, and England are out.

And you have to go back to 1950 in England’s first World Cup appearance ever, to see two defeats in the group stage – we beat Chile 2-0 in our first game with goals from Stan Mortensen and Wilf Mannion, but then we lost 1-0 to the USA and then 2-0 to Spain.

England have never lost all three group games in a World Cup, and we suppose there’s a chance that could happen on Tuesday – although both England and Costa Rica will be giving squad players an opportunity in that game.

And this is the first World Cup ever that we have conceded two goals twice in the group game stage.

It’s all in the head with the England players, and they always look very ordinary in these big tournaments – it always seems too much for them.

But the FA will stay with Roy Hodgson for the upcoming European Championships in France in 2016, and England are in the qualifying Group E along with Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino.

This is what FA Chairman Greg Dyke said after the defeat by Uruguay:

“We’re supportive of Roy Hodgson and we’ve asked him to stay as manager,” “That’s the view of myself, it’s the view of others here and it’s the view of the FA.”

Roy’s contract is £3M a year and lasts for the next two years, so the FA would have had to compensate him if he was sacked – but not the full £6M that some outlets are reporting.

We need somebody like Jose Mourinho managing the England side if we are not going to fail (miserably) every two years in these big tournaments.

And Costa Rica deserve all the accolades for what they have done so far in this World Cup – it’s just great for them.

4 responses so far ↓

Roy got his tactics wrong vs Italy and Uraguay, not enough pressing of the ball high up the pitch, and not man marking PIrlo and Biter was the main downfall.
We need to drop Rooney, Gerrard and Joe Hart, 3 players who think they are better than they are but never do anything in major tournaments.
Bring the youngsters on, they have more energy ,no fear and pace, neither Gerrard or Rooney have pace,
We have started the tournament with too negative tactics and need to finish it with a high energy, fast attacking ethos.

I’m a big fan of Stevie G but I agree with you about itbeing the end for him in an Engand shirt. He was meant to be our Pirlo but was anything but. Pretty confident Roy will learn from this tournament because even though he said he’s had time with the squad, lots of the playershave only just been called up (lallana, barkley, sterling, sturridge, shaw and henderson’s been in and out). Let’s hope by the euros all the youngsters will be injury free and have 2 more full seasons of experience. Who would you give the armband to if gerrard left?

yea have to agree that it was the older more experienced players that were letting the side down, gerrard is well over the hill plus he crumbles under pressure,last game of the season for Liverpool he tried to stop the ball and it slipped under his foot, GOAL ouch, and this England game back heading it to luis suarez for the goal, sloppy man sloppy bring on all the young guns thats what i say bin your lampards anf gerrards they done

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United, when their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Fantasy League

Mark Harding has again set up the Fantasy League for our readers for this season.

The new code is 3641-1656 and people can set up the league here:

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

====================

Health Update - 4 Feb, 2015

I had another battery of medical tests early last week, and the results show my PSA count as undetectable, which means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of cancer in the body.

I'm very pleased about that!

Ed Harrison

=========================

What Is A Football Club?

“What is a club in any case?"

“Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes."

“It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city."

“It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”